Light-guiding devices and monitoring devices incorporating same

Abstract

A monitoring device configured to be attached to the ear of a person includes a base, an earbud housing extending outwardly from the base that is configured to be positioned within an ear of a subject, and a cover surrounding the earbud housing. The base includes a speaker, an optical emitter, and an optical detector. The cover includes light transmissive material that is in optical communication with the optical emitter and the optical detector and serves as a light guide to deliver light from the optical emitter into the ear canal of the subject wearing the device at one or more predetermined locations and to collect light external to the earbud housing and deliver the collected light to the optical detector.

That which is claimed is: 
     
       1. A headset, comprising:
 a housing configured to be positioned within an ear of a subject, the ear having an anti tragus, a concha, and an ear canal; 
 an optical emitter and an optical detector; and 
 at least one light guide associated with the housing, wherein the at least one light guide comprises a distal end oriented in a direction away from the ear canal and configured to engage a portion of the ear of the subject between the anti tragus and concha, wherein the at least one light guide is in optical communication with the optical emitter or optical detector, and wherein the at least one light guide is configured to deliver light from the optical emitter into an ear region of the subject between the anti tragus and concha via the distal end or collect light from the ear region of the subject between the anti tragus and concha via the distal end and deliver collected light to the optical detector. 
 
     
     
       2. The headset of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the distal end of the at least one light guide extends outwardly from the housing. 
     
     
       3. The headset of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one light guide comprises optical filtering material. 
     
     
       4. The headset of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one light guide comprises an elastomeric light transmissive material. 
     
     
       5. The headset of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one light guide comprises a substantially rigid light transmissive material. 
     
     
       6. The headset of  claim 1 , further comprising light blocking material positioned between the optical emitter and detector such that the optical emitter and detector are not in direct optical communication with each other. 
     
     
       7. The headset of  claim 1 , wherein the optical emitter comprises optical coupling material, and wherein the at least one light guide is in optical communication with the optical emitter via the optical coupling material. 
     
     
       8. The headset of  claim 1 , wherein the optical detector comprises optical coupling material, and wherein the at least one light guide is in optical communication with the optical detector via the optical coupling material. 
     
     
       9. The headset of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one light guide comprises a cladding material that at least partially confines light within the light guide and/or blocks light from an external source from entering the at least one light guide. 
     
     
       10. The headset of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one light guide comprises a plurality of light guides, each having a distal end that is oriented in a direction away from the ear canal and that engages a respective different portion of the ear of a subject. 
     
     
       11. The headset of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of optical emitters, wherein the at least one light guide comprises a plurality of light guides, and wherein the plurality of light guides are in optical communication with the plurality of optical emitters and configured to deliver light from the plurality of optical emitters to an ear region of the subject. 
     
     
       12. The headset of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of optical detectors, wherein the at least one light guide comprises a plurality of light guides, and wherein the plurality of light guides are in optical communication with the plurality of optical detectors and configured to collect light from an ear region of the subject between the anti tragus and concha and deliver collected light to the plurality of optical detectors. 
     
     
       13. The headset of  claim 1 , further comprising a signal processor configured to receive and process signals produced by the optical detector. 
     
     
       14. The headset of  claim 1 , wherein the optical emitter and optical detector are attached to the housing. 
     
     
       15. A headset, comprising:
 a housing configured to be positioned within an ear of a subject, the ear having an anti tragus, a concha, and an ear canal; 
 an optical emitter and an optical detector; and 
 first and second light guides associated with the housing, wherein each of the first and second light guides comprises a distal end oriented in a direction away from the ear canal and configured to engage a respective portion of the ear of the subject between the anti tragus and concha, wherein the first light guide is in optical communication with the optical emitter and is configured to deliver light from the optical emitter into an ear region of the subject between the anti tragus and concha via the first light guide distal end, and wherein the second light guide is in optical communication with the optical detector and is configured to collect light from an ear region of the subject between the anti tragus and concha via the second light guide distal end and deliver collected light to the optical detector. 
 
     
     
       16. The headset of  claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of the distal end of one or both of the first and second light guides extends outwardly from the housing. 
     
     
       17. The headset of  claim 15 , wherein one or both of the first and second light guides comprises optical filtering material. 
     
     
       18. The headset of  claim 15 , further comprising a speaker disposed within the housing, and wherein the housing comprises at least one aperture through which sound from the speaker can pass. 
     
     
       19. The headset of  claim 15 , further comprising a signal processor configured to receive and process signals produced by the optical detector. 
     
     
       20. The headset of  claim 15 , wherein the optical emitter and optical detector are attached to the housing. 
     
     
       21. A headset, comprising:
 a housing configured to be positioned within an ear of a subject, the ear having an anti tragus, a concha, and an ear canal; 
 an optical emitter and an optical detector; and 
 a light guide associated with the housing, wherein the light guide comprises a distal end oriented in a direction away from the ear canal and configured to engage a respective portion of the ear of the subject between the anti tragus and concha, wherein the light guide is in optical communication with the optical emitter and is configured to deliver light from the optical emitter into an ear region of the subject between the anti tragus and concha via the light guide distal end, and wherein the light guide is in optical communication with the optical detector and is configured to collect light from the ear region of the subject between the anti tragus and concha via the light guide distal end and deliver collected light to the optical detector. 
 
     
     
       22. The headset of  claim 21 , wherein the optical emitter and optical detector are attached to the housing. 
     
     
       23. The headset of  claim 21 , wherein at least a portion of the light guide distal end extends outwardly from the housing. 
     
     
       24. The headset of  claim 21 , wherein the light guide comprises optical filtering material. 
     
     
       25. A headset, comprising:
 a pair of earbuds, each configured to be poisoned within an ear of a subject, each ear having an anti tragus, a concha, and an ear canal; 
 a band connecting the pair of earbuds; 
 an optical emitter and an optical detector attached to the band; and 
 at least one light guide extending along the band and comprising opposite proximal and distal ends, wherein the proximal end is in optical communication with the optical emitter or optical detector, wherein the distal end terminates at one of the earbuds and is configured to engage a portion of an ear of a subject in a direction away from the ear canal, and wherein the at least one light guide is configured to deliver light from the optical emitter into a region of the ear of the subject between the anti tragus and concha via the distal end or collect light from the ear region of the subject between the anti tragus and concha via the distal end and deliver collected light to the optical detector. 
 
     
     
       26. The sensor module of  claim 25 , wherein at least a portion of the distal end of the at least one light guide extends outwardly from the earbud. 
     
     
       27. The sensor module of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one light guide comprises optical filtering material. 
     
     
       28. The sensor module of  claim 25 , further comprising light blocking material positioned between the optical emitter and detector such that the optical emitter and detector are not in direct optical communication with each other. 
     
     
       29. The sensor module of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one light guide comprises a cladding material that blocks light from an external source from entering the at least one light guide. 
     
     
       30. The sensor module of  claim 25 , wherein the optical emitter and optical detector are embedded within the band.